The October Film Haunt
Review
The October Film Haunt
Michael Wehunt has built a strong following based on his stellar short fiction. Now, with the release of THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT, he introduces readers to his unique brand of horror in full-length form.
Jorie Stroud’s horror-loving parents named her after the Laurie Strode character portrayed by Jamie Lee Curtis in John Carpenter’s original Halloween movies. Ten years ago, Jorie and her two friends, Beth and Colin, were part of an enormously popular blog, “The October Film Haunt.” Regrettably, everything came crashing down when they were involved in a tragedy at the graveyard site of the cult horror film Proof of Demons, where a young woman was buried alive wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the “October Film Haunt” logo they had provided her.
"Wehunt knows how to get under your skin. The finale is extremely well done, and THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT makes for some creepy Halloween reading."
The result was Jorie pulling away from the blog and anything to do with horror. She also lost touch with Beth and Colin, who passed away from cancer two years later. Now, in the present day, Jorie receives a VHS tape in the mail that refers to “The October Film Haunt” and shows a funeral gathering at a gravesite and other disturbing and confusing scenes.
As Jorie is startled into action and begins to dig deeper, it appears that the enigmatic director of Proof of Demons, Hélène Enriquez, may be behind an attempt to release a sequel. What really frightens Jorie is that she is listed as a co-writer of the proposed follow-up, and subsequent video clips seem to be filming her life, as well as resurrecting the concept of “The October Film Haunt.”
Jorie reaches out to Beth, whom she has not spoken to in 10 years. Beth also has seen the footage and is equally disturbed by it. There are other characters featured here, and Wehunt does an excellent job of introducing them without giving away their full purpose until later in the story.
Another highlight is the various interludes that feature everything from excerpts of the blog to current-day articles and online blurbs that speak to the film at the heart of the story. Jorie becomes increasingly disturbed when her life continues to be depicted in new video clips. There is also a shocking murder and a kidnapping that hits way too close to home.
Wehunt knows how to get under your skin. The finale is extremely well done, and THE OCTOBER FILM HAUNT makes for some creepy Halloween reading.
Reviewed by Ray Palen on October 11, 2025
The October Film Haunt
- Publication Date: September 30, 2025
- Genres: Fiction, Horror, Supernatural Thriller, Suspense, Thriller
- Hardcover: 336 pages
- Publisher: St. Martin's Press
- ISBN-10: 1250333695
- ISBN-13: 9781250333698